Members of the Senate Unity Forum, the group of Senators who are in support of the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the leadership of the Senate have continued their consultations in readiness for the fallout of the CCT trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Vanguard Reported
It was gathered that the SUF has decided to lie low and allow the ongoing trial get to a head, as they continue the consultations behind the scene. A source said that the senators cannot say for certainty what would happen during the week, but many of them were said to be banking on the government “handling the assignment for them.”
The SUF Senators: Abu Ibrahim, Kabiru Marafa, Ajayi Borofice, Olugbenga Ashafa, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Banabas Gemade, Ahmed Lawan and George Akume among others came up to support Senator Ahmed Lawan during the fight for the position of Senate Presidency, which Saraki won.
As members of SUF are consulting, Saraki’s supporters, mostly of the Like Minds Senators (LMS) were also moving to consolidate the Senate President’s hold on the red chamber.
According to a source, one of the forces against Saraki was pushing for an “Obasanjo option,” which would be to pull through the planned arrest and detention of the Senate President irrespective of the CCT order on the issue.
Those behind this agenda are claiming that the CCT is not lower than the High Court and that its orders can only be referred to the Court of Appeal.
It was also gathered that the position of this camp is that the CCT could be made to get Saraki “out of the way” while the issue of control of the Senate would be sorted out on resumption.
Others are, however, expressing caution that the “Obasanjo option” could look drastic and reduce the government’s democratic credentials, especially as the government is still trying to get off the fallout of the invasion of Akwa-Ibom Government House.
The source said: “The noise by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also unsettling the plans. If the nation had remained quiet as it was before now, the authorities can go all out after the Senate President under the guise of fighting corruption,” a source close to the party said, adding that the two divides in the APC camp are weighing the best option going forward.
It was also gathered that loyalists of the Senate President have decided to hold a Unity meeting of all Senators on September 28, a day before the 29th resumption date..
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